The Enquirer/Patrick Brennan
ROSEMONT, Illinois — Chris Mack's postgame sigh of relief said it all.
Victory was the only option for Xavier's head coach amidst a monumental February slide and six-game losing streak, but the Musketeers won and breathed life back into their NCAA Tournament push in the final game of the regular season.
Xavier improved to 19-12 overall and 9-9 in Big East Conference play with a 79-65 win over lowly DePaul University (9-22, 2-16) Saturday afternoon.
The game, DePaul's last-ever at Allstate Arena after playing in the suburban Chicago venue for 37 years, saw Xavier turn out the lights on the old gym with a diverse offensive attack and a solid night of ball-handling after falling behind by 11 in the first half.